Blade, I appreciate your reply and respect your opinion. I found a cream called Natural Progesterone liposomal skin cream by now solutions. It says "natural progesterone cream from wild yam." It also has a bunch of bullshit herbs that I wish weren't in there but black cohosh is not one of them. I used it once.

I feel weird about using it and I feel weird about not using it. The former feeling is based on logic and science and facts and the latter feeling is coming from the witch doctor sector of my brain, the same part that makes me cross my fingers when I drive by a graveyard.

My cramps are a little bit stronger and more frequent but I am still not spotting.

I guess I'm gonna quit using it... Whatever's gonna happen is gonna happen. Ugh. Can I fast forward thru the first trimester?

I am just going to reiterate what everyone else had to say. Progesterone is fine during pregnancy if there is thought to be a need. Those warnings are because you are not supposed to mess with the body's hormonal balance during pregnancy unless there is cause and it is recommended by a doctor. When I was carrying my twins I took progesterone supps from 18 weeks until 32weeks to try and help prevent preterm labour. The research is sketchy as to whether or not this actually helps but there is very little risk so my dr. agreed to try it. My daughters are healthy and there were no problems with the pregnancy. I also have many friends who have done IVF and you have to take progesterone supps until between 10 and 12 weeks depending on the dr's recommendation just to maintain the pregnancy. So progesterone is definitely not off limits during pregnancy it just depends on the situation.

I would not worry about the cramps, those are normal. As miscarriage is quite painful so you will not be wondering if something is wrong you will know. My best wishes to you, I hope your pregnancy continues to go well!

I have some information on the use of black cohosh (and on the phytoprolief cream) that may allay some of your fears. First off, the cream appears to be primarily phytoestrogen rather than progesterone, so an excess of progesterone or the sudden cessation of progesterone does not appear to be something to worry about.

Secondly, the dosage of black cohosh in a progesterone or phytoestrogen supplement is usually about 20-40mg, taken up to twice daily. As one ingredient in a topical cream, the amount that is actually absorbed by your body is likely to be significantly less.

When used as an abortive substance, black cohosh is taken in doses of 500-1000mg every four hours. I consider this a dangerous practice, as it will significantly lower your heart rate, in addition to causing nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, headaches, dizziness, and shakiness. I don't mean slightly either. If you've taken enough black cohosh to induce miscarriage, your whole body will feel it hardcore.

Because the amount of black cohosh it takes to cause miscarriage varies depending on the woman, the child, the medical history, etc, the FDA requires a "do not take while pregnant" warning. But given the disparity between a daily dose of 80mg (the maximum I would expect from your cream) and 3000-6000mg (the amount used to abort a pregnancy)...statistically you and baby should be alright.

I definitely recommend speaking with your doctor as well as discontinuing the use of the cream...AND the gynecologist. Every case is different, I am not a doctor, nor am I yet certified as a practitioner of herbal medicine, so the information I've provided does not count as medical advice. That being said, I believe that knowledge is power, so I hope providing you with more knowledge about dosages and such helps you feel more empowered and less afraid.

Best of wishes to you, darling, and my most fervent prayers for the health and safety of you and Baby. <3

Thank you so much, Sessha. So very kind of you to reply with so much info. And thank you as well, ajh. Y'all are the best.

I just peed on a stick again. It was the hardest thing I've ever done. I'm serious. First world problems, I know. My heart was pounding. But there was a line again. :-) And it was a slightly darker line even without using FMU. So I do feel a bit better. I am gonna bite the bullet and stop using the stupid cream and listen to my husband ask me why I didn't just wipe my butt with twenty bucks. A valid question. :-)